It is known in the art that high performance jet aircraft use leading edge slats to improve a wing's maximum lift by delaying stall onset. A greater maximum lift and delayed stall mean lower operating speeds for take-off and landing, reduced take-off and landing distances and/or higher take-off weight.
There are a number of apparatuses in the prior art that have been used to improve the performance of leading edge slats. An example of one such apparatus is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,404 (“the '404 patent”) which describes an apparatus that includes a vortex generator arranged on an inboard edge of each leading edge slat in the area of the wing root. The apparatus also includes a transition fairing arranged on a separation edge that is let into the leading edge of the wing root and that borders along the inboard edge of the slat.
FIG. 3 shows a “hingewise” inboard edge configuration of known in the art slats and FIG. 4 shows a “streamwise” inboard edge configuration. These configurations, however, do not provide the wing maximum lift and delayed stall onset that the embodiments of the present invention provide. Consequently, there is a need for an improved slat configuration for fixed-wing-aircraft that achieves greater maximum lift and delays stall onset.